Labor Department: Rochester region adds jobs in June

The Rochester metropolitan area economy continued to improve last month, with an increase in non-farm jobs and private-sector jobs, the state Department of Labor said Thursday.

Over the last year Rochester has added 3,100 non-farm jobs, or 0.6 percent, while the private sector has added 1,700 jobs, or 0.4 percent, not seasonally adjusted. Non-farm jobs include both private sector and government jobs.

Rochester ranked third among upstate regions in terms of the number of non-farm jobs added in June.

The Buffalo area added 4,000 non-farm jobs, or 0.7 percent, from June 2012 to June 2013, while the private sector added 5,800 jobs, or 1.3 percent. The Syracuse area economy also improved, with a 3,100-non-farm job increase, or 1 percent, and a 2,900-job increase in the private sector, or 1.1 percent.

Among the 52-county Upstate New York region, non-farm job growth over the last year was 15,800, while the private sector added 21,600 jobs, not seasonally adjusted. Statewide, some 93,800 non-farm jobs were added last month, while the private sector gained 110,500 jobs.

From May to June the state lost 11,400 non-farm jobs, while the private sector lost 6,800 jobs, seasonally adjusted.

The seasonally adjusted unemployment rate in New York last month fell to 7.5 percent—its lowest points since February 2009—compared with 7.6 percent in May and 8.7 percent a year ago.

Non-seasonally adjusted data are valuable in year-to-year comparisons for the same month, for example, June 2012 versus June 2013, the Department of Labor has noted. When comparing different months, seasonally adjusted data provide the most valid comparison.

The educational and health services sector outpaced all other sectors statewide in June in jobs gains, having added 37,200 jobs since June 2012. The government, primarily at the local level, continued to lead the sectors with jobs losses last month.